Mytilos or Mytilus ( grc, Μύτιλος; la, Mytilus; ruled 270231 BC) was an

Illyrian Illyrian may refer to: *Illyria, the historical region on the Balkan Peninsula **Illyrians, an ancient tribe inhabiting Illyria **Illyrian languages, languages of ancient Illyrian tribes * Illyrian (South Slavic), a common name for 17th to 19th cen ...

king King is the title given to a male monarch in a variety of contexts. The female equivalent is queen, which title is also given to the consort of a king. *In the context of prehistory, antiquity and contemporary indigenous peoples, the ...

who reigned in southern

Illyria In classical antiquity, Illyria (; grc, Ἰλλυρία, ''Illyría'' or , ''Illyrís''; la, Illyria, ''Illyricum'') was a region in the western part of the Balkan Peninsula inhabited by numerous tribes of people collectively known as the Illyr ...

, around the hinterland of Dyrrhachion and Apollonia. He was the successor of

Monunios Monounios or Monunius ( grc, Μονούνιος; la, Monunius; ruled 290 – 270 BC) was an Illyrian king who reigned in southern Illyria, in the territory of the Taulantii, around the hinterland of Dyrrhachion and Apollonia. He is the firs ...

, and probably his son. Mytilus is mentioned by

Pompeius Trogus Gnaeus Pompeius Trogus also anglicized as was a Gallo-Roman historian from the Celtic Vocontii tribe in Narbonese Gaul who lived during the reign of the emperor Augustus. He was nearly contemporary with Livy. Life Pompeius Trogus's grandfath ...

(1st century BC) and

Frontinus Sextus Julius Frontinus (c. 40 – 103 AD) was a prominent Roman civil engineer, author, soldier and senator of the late 1st century AD. He was a successful general under Domitian, commanding forces in Roman Britain, and on the Rhine and Danub ...

(1st century AD) reporting the events of the military conflict between the Illyrians and the

Epirotes Epirus (; Epirote Greek: , ; Attic Greek: , ) was an ancient Greek kingdom, and later republic, located in the geographical region of Epirus, in north-western Greece and southern Albania. Home to the ancient Epirotes, the state was bordered by ...

under Alexander II, son of Pyrrhus.; . From around 270 BC Mytilus minted in Dyrrhachion his own bronze coins bearing the king's name and the symbol of the city.

Biography

Mytilus reigned in the hinterland of Dyrrachion and Apollonia. Mytilus minted his own bronze coins dating back to around 270 BC, with the symbols of Dyrrhachion and the king's name. The fact that his coins were struck in the city mint of Dyrrhachion stresses that he exercised to some extent his authority over the city, as had done his predecessor

. After Monunios, Mytilus is the second Illyrian king to have struck coins bearing his name. Coinage of Apollonia from the same period bore only his monogram, as well as symbols similar to those of the Aetolian League, an adversary of

Epirus sq, Epiri rup, Epiru , native_name_lang = , settlement_type = Historical region , image_map = Epirus antiquus tabula.jpg , map_alt = , map_caption = Map of ancient Epirus by Heinrich ...

. Copies of the Illyrian coins are kept at the Archaeological Museum in Zagreb,

Croatia , image_flag = Flag of Croatia.svg , image_coat = Coat of arms of Croatia.svg , anthem = "Lijepa naša domovino"("Our Beautiful Homeland") , image_map = , map_caption = , capit ...

. The bronze coins had the head of Hercules on the obverse and on the reverse, Heracles' symbols: quiver, bow and mace with the words ΒΑΣΙΛΕΩΣ ΜΥΤΙΛ. The Illyrian king Mytilus also appears in the historical accounts of ancient writers

(1st century BC) and

(1st century AD), which describe the war he waged around 270 BC against the successor of Pyrrhus,

Alexander II of Epirus Alexander II ( Greek: Άλέξανδρος) was a king of Epirus, and the son of Pyrrhus and Lanassa, the daughter of the Sicilian tyrant Agathocles. Reign He succeeded his father as king in 272 BC, and continued the war which his father had ...

. Mytilus, presumably, retained his authority in Durrës after Alexander II invaded his territory in or around 270 BC. On one occasion, some Epirotes were dressed in Illyrian clothes and were put them to plunder their own sites. Unsuspecting, the Illyrians relaxed their defences and rushed to emulate them, believing that men in front of them were just their own probes. So they were easy victims of Epirus. The control of Durrës and Apollonia means that at the time of Mytilus, the Illyrians had regained the extent and authority it enjoyed in the time of Glaucias. Mytilus had even taken an excursion into the territory of Epirus. It is during this time that

Rome , established_title = Founded , established_date = 753 BC , founder = King Romulus ( legendary) , image_map = Map of comune of Rome (metropolitan city of Capital Rome, region Lazio, Italy).svg , map_caption ...

was first invited to intervene against the Illyrians, Epirotes and the Aetolians in the

Balkans The Balkans ( ), also known as the Balkan Peninsula, is a geographical area in southeastern Europe with various geographical and historical definitions. The region takes its name from the Balkan Mountains that stretch throughout the who ...

.Cass. Dio. Fr 42.1

References

Bibliography

* * * * * * * {{DEFAULTSORT:Mytilus The Dardanian Illyrian royalty 3rd-century BC rulers Year of birth unknown Year of death unknown

Biography

See also

References

Bibliography